Fearing being killed for his overwhelming merits, the empress decided to marry him.

News of the artillery barrage on the capital city walls quickly spread to every corner of the city.

The commotion was so great that even the common people in the southern part of the city heard it, and the government couldn't suppress the news in time.

Because the scope of the incident was so broad, news of the bombardment of the capital quickly spread to the Forbidden City.

After learning about the shelling and the immediate collapse of the Beijing garrison soldiers, Li Hong was filled with rage and grief. He immediately rushed towards Xue Dongluo, who had come to report the incident, and shouted:

"The bad habit of the Beijing army is that they rely solely on local soldiers for defense. The incompetent soldiers of the Beijing garrison are mostly cowardly and hesitant. The officers and soldiers leading the troops do not know how to supervise and command them. When the enemy arrives, they immediately waver and collapse. Not a single one of the 100,000 Beijing soldiers dared to fight to the death. It is truly shameful and disheartening to think about."

Xue Dongluo didn't dare utter a sound and could only stand in the Hall of Mental Cultivation with his head down like a statue.

Just then, Fengchun came to report: "Your Majesty, Lord He has returned."

"He Yong?!"

Upon hearing that He Yong had returned, Li Hong immediately perked up.

"Quickly, bring him to the palace to meet with the government."

He Yong was like a lifeline, giving Li Hong a glimmer of hope to break through the darkness before him.

Before long, He Yong strode into the Hall of Mental Cultivation, knelt down before Li Hong without saying a word, and cried out, "Your Majesty, this servant has returned!"

Li Hong had no time for pretense. He stepped forward to help He Yong up, took his hand, and said, "You servant are finally back. Do you know what's going on in the capital now?"

He Yong nodded: "When I entered the capital during the day, I had already heard about it. In addition, in the Southern Zhili region, our Wu Zhao's various garrisons were defeated by the Chu army."

Even Fuheng, Lou Shide, and the remaining four thousand military officers and various vassal tribes were captured by the Chu army.

Meanwhile, over ten thousand officers and soldiers stationed in Yong'an County and several surrounding counties in the northern region, including Lu Wenwu, all became prisoners of the Chu army.

Li Hong's eyelids twitched: "You mean, all of my elite military troops have been wiped out like this?"

He Yong nodded: "Your Majesty, do not hesitate any longer. Try every possible means to negotiate with the Chu army leader. Wu Zhao Kingdom is absolutely no match for Chu Kingdom."

Li Hong: "He Yong, even you were frightened by the Chu army? You would never have said such a thing before."

He Yong bowed respectfully and said, "This servant is merely speaking the truth. During this trip to Haizhou, this servant did not see the Empress, but the Empress's meaning was very clear."

She will not agree to get what she wants in this way. If my Wu Zhao Kingdom continues with this attitude, the war will continue.

Li Hong broke down: "I just want to save face and save face. The Empress of Great Chu is also the ruler of a country. Can't she understand what I mean?"

I'm already willing to give Haizhou to her, what more does she want from me? Does she really want to fight me to the death?

"A woman should be devoted to her husband and children; what business is it of her worrying about the country?!"

At this moment, Li Hong had lost the composure that an emperor should have, and like a garrulous old man, he began to explain his intentions.

"He Yong, I ask you, what do you think of that Empress of Great Chu?"

"Back then, the Qiang and Xia people migrated over ten thousand miles to seek refuge with me, hoping that I would send troops to put pressure on the Chu state, but did I do so?"

"Not only did I not wage war against the State of Chu, but I also sent an envoy thousands of miles eastward to invite the Empress of Great Chu to listen to my explanation of the way of governing the country. Tell me, have I done anything wrong?"

He Yong shook his head: "No, Your Majesty, you did the right thing."

Li Hong continued, "As a result, that year, the Empress did not appreciate it, but I did not make things difficult for her, even though I was unhappy."

However, considering that it was not easy for a woman to govern a country, they did not take it too seriously and continued to send envoys to the State of Chu year after year to invite the Empress to visit the State of Wuzhao for exchanges.

"I ask you this: haven't I been magnanimous enough? Is there anyone in the world more magnanimous than me? I doubt you could find one!"

He Yong nodded: "Your Majesty's magnanimity is truly admirable."

"And this time, I heard that the Empress of Great Chu had arrived and occupied my Haizhou, but did I make things difficult for her?"

I even personally built a palace for the Empress, envisioning a comfortable place for her to live when she comes to the capital.

When discussing state affairs with me, they no longer need to travel back and forth between the palace and the outside world every day.

Have I not done more than enough? This is the first time I've ever built a private palace for a foreign monarch.

I ask myself, haven't I done more than enough for the Empress?

He Yong sighed softly: "His Majesty has indeed been extremely kind and benevolent to the Empress."

"Then why did she treat me like this! Why did she force me to not even have a chance to save face?"

Answer me, He Yong: I just want a bit of imperial dignity, why won't she give it to me?

At this moment, Li Hong seemed to have aged decades, like a lonely old man who had lost his child, and became extremely pitiful in He Yong's eyes.

He Yong stepped forward and helped Li Hong up, saying, "Your Majesty, please take good care of your health."

Li Hong pressed on, asking, "He Yong, tell me, why is this happening? Is the Empress trying to drive me to my doom?"

He Yong was silent for a while, then said something that made Li Hong's eyes widen: "Your Majesty, everything you have done is actually not wrong. If it were an ordinary foreign vassal state, they would probably have built a shrine for you and gone crazy with joy if you offered such conditions."

"But Your Majesty, that is the State of Chu. Putting everything else aside, just this one fleet alone has rendered my Wuzhao forces utterly powerless. Do you think their emperor is an ordinary person?"

"After the Empress of Great Chu ascended the throne, she also grew up through trials of blood and fire. Among those who helped her the most was her husband, Shen Lang."

"A talent as great as Shen Lang, if he were in the hands of other emperors, they would probably have eliminated him as soon as they had used him, to avoid jeopardizing their own throne."

But the Empress of Great Chu had been by Shen Lang's side for over ten years, trusting him so much that she had given him military power. Do you think she would agree to such an outlandish request from the Emperor?

"Impossible, Your Majesty. Although this servant does not know anything about the art of rulership, I do know that when a person trusts another to the point of entrusting their own life to that person, they will absolutely not compromise for the sake of some interests."

Li Hong: "He Yong, what exactly are you trying to say?"

He Yong: "Your Majesty, this servant wants to say that the Empress doesn't care about your feelings, because she is already so powerful that she can get what she wants even without these underhanded methods."

Because, in the eyes of the State of Chu, my State of Wuzhao is nothing more than meat on a chopping board. Meat has no right to make demands of the butcher, nor is such a possibility even possible.

Li Hong sat weakly on the couch, carefully pondering He Yong's words.

Normally, if He Yong had said these words, he would probably have been charged with disrespect.

But now, with the situation so precarious, Li Hong had no mind to blame He Yong for his rude remarks.

After a long silence, Li Hong finally made a decision: "Notify the Imperial Guards to contact Zhang Gui. I agree to Shen Lang's conditions and prepare to leave the city immediately to go to the Chu army camp."